Monday, November 08, 2010
Protein to Regulate Magnesium Can Restart Stem Cells
From University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)
New research shows how a specific protein controls the body’s ability to regulate magnesium. Though it is vital to more than 300 biochemical reaction in the body, the molecular mechanism for controlling magnesium were not previously understood, with implications in stem cell research and therapeutic implications.
“This has significant medical relevance,” said Alexey G. Ryazanov, Ph.D., one of the study’s authors and a professor of pharmacology and member of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
“Even though maintaining magnesium balance appears vital to good health, the molecular mechanisms for controlling magnesium are not well understood. Our research not only provides important clues about magnesium homeostasis but we were also able to show that adding magnesium can restart mouse embryonic stem cells that have stopped replicating because of a malfunction of TRPM7.”
Read the full article here.